Astigmatism a common problem
You may have heard of a vision issue called astigmatism and you wouldn’t be the first to think it was pronounced “a stigmatism”. Astigmatism is a very common focusing error of the eyes which can cause blurred vision. It is not an eye disease — it’s simply a problem with how the eye focuses light. Like nearsightedness and farsightedness it can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses and LASIK surgery.
It occurs as a result of an irregular curve on the surface of the eye. Astigmatism may cause blurring of both distant and near objects. You can be born with astigmatism or it may develop as you age.
Blur from astigmatism means that some parts of an image are more out of focus than other parts.
The blur resulting from uncorrected astigmatism can make tasks like reading, driving or watching television difficult to focus on, and may cause headaches, tiredness and poor concentration.
Squinting also is a very common symptom of astigmatism and is often an early indicator in children. Your focusing system is constantly adjusting, trying to achieve a sharp image which the astigmatic eye cannot produce without optical correction.
Fatigue or headaches may occur if you ‘squint’ your eyes to see more clearly, causing the muscles of the eyelids and face to become uncomfortable.
Your optometrist will provide a diagnosis of any vision problems, including astigmatism, at an eye examination. They will provide professional advice about the range of options to correct your vision and provide you with clear, comfortable vision.
A new spectacle correction for astigmatism can be uncomfortable to wear for the first few days because the sharp clear vision it affords may also have some distortion.
For instance a round plate might appear oval or a flat table might seem bowed.
Most people quickly adapt to this, but in some cases the optical prescription may need to be modified to achieve a particular balance between clarity and visual comfort. Refractive surgery can be used to reshape the surface of the eye.
Your optometrist will be able to discuss this with you as part of evaluating treatment options best suited to your astigmatism.
■ Information in this article is sourced from NZ Association of Optometrists